Mahabharata · 2.11.41–42
॥
Devanāgarī
सा सभा तादृशी दृष्टा सर्वलोकेषु दुर्लभा ॥
सभेयं राजशार्दूल मनुष्येषु यथा तव ॥
एता मया दृष्टपूर्वाः सभा देवेषु पाण्डव ॥
तवेयं मानुषे लोके सर्वश्रेष्ठतमा सभा ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sā sabhā tādṛśī dṛṣṭā sarvalokeṣu durlabhā ||
sabheyaṃ rājaśārdūla manuṣyeṣu yathā tava ||
etā mayā dṛṣṭapūrvāḥ sabhā deveṣu pāṇḍava ||
taveyaṃ mānuṣe loke sarvaśreṣṭhatamā sabhā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सा सभा तादृशी दृष्टाsā sabhā tādṛśī dṛṣṭāSuch a hall, seen [by me],
सर्व-लोकेषु दुर्लभाsarva-lokeṣu durlabhāhard to attain in all the worlds,
सभा इयम् राज-शार्दूलsabhā iyam rāja-śārdūla[as] this hall, O tiger among kings,
मनुष्येषु यथा तवmanuṣyeṣu yathā tavaamong men — is yours;
एताः मया दृष्ट-पूर्वाःetāḥ mayā dṛṣṭa-pūrvāḥthese, seen by me before,
सभाः देवेषु पाण्डवsabhāḥ deveṣu pāṇḍavaare the halls among the gods, O Pandava;
तव इयम् मानुषे लोकेtava iyam mānuṣe loke[but] this one of yours, in the world of men —
सर्व-श्रेष्ठ-तमा सभाsarva-śreṣṭha-tamā sabhāis the most excellent hall."
सर्वलोकेषुsarvalokeṣuoriginal form "sarvalokeṣu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सभेयंsabheyaṃoriginal form "sabheyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजशार्दूलrājaśārdūlaoriginal form "rājaśārdūla", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एताetāoriginal form "etā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दृष्टपूर्वाःdṛṣṭapūrvāḥoriginal form "dṛṣṭapūrvāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तवेयंtaveyaṃoriginal form "taveyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वश्रेष्ठतमाsarvaśreṣṭhatamāoriginal form "sarvaśreṣṭhatamā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Such a hall I have seen — hard to attain in all the worlds — as yours is among men, O tiger among kings; these halls I saw before among the gods, O Pandava, but this hall of yours in the world of men is the most excellent of [human] halls."
Version
2154b1da9aca · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:23 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here Narada concludes his survey of the heavenly halls with praise for Yudhishthira's earthly palace. It is telling that this is not flattery but a pointer: a righteous kingdom attains heights comparable to the celestial. Thus the scripture reveals the summit of the Pandavas' earthly glory; and next Yudhishthira asks about one of the dwellers of Indra's hall.